Santa Barbara County District Attorney Joyce E. Dudley announced the conviction of Francisco Javier Carranza, 44 years old, of Lompoc, California. Carranza pied guilty to two felony counts of Workers’ Compensation Fraud and was sentenced to 100 days in jail, was placed on three years of felony probation and ordered to pay more than $68,000 in restitution.

Carranza filed a workers’ compensation claim for an injury sustained while working for Action Roofing Company, a local Santa Barbara business. Suspicions arose when Carranza claimed he was not getting better despite years of medical treatment and benefit payments. Carranza complained of ongoing pain and claimed he was incapable of working or walking without the use of a device. Surveillance video proved Carranza’s claims were fraudulent.

Carranza’s fraudulent claims resulted in losses to the State Compensation Insurance Fund totaling $36,519.66 and to Action Roofing in the sum of$31,710.21. District Attorney Joyce Dudley noted that, “Engaging in workers compensation fraud negatively impacts our entire community, as well as individuals and their families who rely upon this system when they become and remain injured on the job. For these reasons, our office will continue to rigorously prosecute these crimes.”